Sickness and comfort
by kagome04
Summary: Dick is sick and Bruce takes care of him. Dick and Bruce bonding fic.


"Bruce?" Dick asked as he looked around the room he had been out for what felt like hours-no days. He couldn't tell. He was in his bedroom that much he could tell and it was dark. Hadn't it been light before he had passed out? He couldn't remember. In fact he couldn't even remember passing out. Couldn't remember anything except…except…Bruce he was there had been there all along but was he still?

Bruce? He asked again his voice little more than a whisper. He was surprised how weak he was. Sure he hadn't exactly been feeling well over the last couple of days but he had never expected this.

"I'm here Dick" he heard a voice say from the corner of the room. He turned around and saw Bruce sitting in a chair next to him. He moved closer to the bed and placed a cool washcloth on Dick's head. "mmm…that feels good." Dick muttered. " It should You have a high fever" "Dick, how long has this been going on? "What are you talking about I'm fine." He said as he tried unsuccessfully to sit up. "What happened? He asked confused. You collapsed in the hallway when I came over. You've been out for hours and you have a high fever" "you tell ME what happened."

"What are you doing here?" he asked "I'm here to take care of you." You don't have to I'm fine. "Clearly" Bruce said sarcastically. "Really I'm fine" he said trying to sound as strong and convincing as possible even though he felt like crap and could barely stand up. "You're not going anywhere" Bruce said as Dick tried unsuccessfully to stand up and get out of bed. Bruce pushed him back down into bed.

"But-" Dick started but Bruce held a hand up to silence him. "Look you're sick, you have a high fever and you are not going anywhere or doing anything except staying in this bed and resting." "is that understood?" Dick nodded. "Now I called Alfred and had him bring some food over are you hungry?" Dick realized he was. He hadn't felt like eating earlier in fact he felt sick to his stomach but now he was starving. "Yes, please" Bruce produced a tray full of food which Dick scarfed down.

"So tell me what happened" Bruce said. "I haven't been feeling great the past couple of days" "But I haven't felt THIS bad." "I figured it was just a virus and I would just push through it like I always do yah know?" "Yes but you should've called me before it ever got this bad." "Why did u let it get this bad?" "I told you Dick said." I didn't feel that bad until today when u came over." "Yah well it doesn't matter now cause I'm here so all u have to worry about is resting and getting better." "Yah ok" Dick said suddenly feeling tired. "I think I'll just lie down and sleep a little bit more." "Ok." Bruce said. "I'll be here." "Thanks." Dick said as he drifted off to sleep.

Dick woke up a couple hours later wondering if Bruce was still there. He didn't expect him to be but still he was hoping that he was. "Bruce?" he called out. No answer. "Bruce?" he called again. No answer. He would never admit but inwardly he was crushed. He supposed Bruce had had to leave to go out on patrol. That made sense after all he was the Batman but still Dick was hoping that just once Bruce would put him before his duties as Batman. But Bruce never had and never would so he wasn't surprised. Just hurt that's all.

"Dick did you call me?" Bruce asked as he came into the room. "What?" Dick was stunned he was still here and it was dark out which meant-he had to be missing out on his patrol to take care of him? He was stunned. "Did you call me?" Bruce repeated. "Um, yeah actually I'm thirsty could I get some water? "Sure" Bruce disappeared and came back a minute later with the water." Bruce eyed him quizzically. "You look surprised." Dick didn't know what to say. Did he? He was trying not to look surprised but he obviously wasn't managing to very well. "Well um yeah I figured you'd be gone by now, you know off on patrol." "I told you I'd be here." "I know but well-he hesitated- "I guess I figured you'd never miss out on patrol for me." Bruce was stung by that comment. Did Dick think he didn't care about him? Or even worse think that he cared more about batman than him? Obviously he must or he never would have made such a comment. Bruce was horrified he was going to have to change some things if this was the way Dick felt. Was this the way everyone felt? He wondered. "I told you I'd be here and so I'm here." I'm going to be here for as long as you need me." Dick was shocked Bruce had never expressed this amount of caring or affection in either words or actions nothing like this and he certainly had never missed patrol for him. He never missed patrol for anything. Maybe, Dick thought Bruce was capable of change.

"So do you need anything else?" Dick thought a moment. "No I'm good." "Ok then." Bruce got up to leave. "Wait-where are you going?" "I was going to go in the other room and clean up a little bit while you rest." "Could you stay in here?" Dick asked. "Could we just talk?" "Sure" Bruce nodded and sat down on the bed. He had really wanted an excuse to get out of the room. It's not that he didn't want to be around Dick he just didn't know what to say or what to talk about and every time the two of them talked lately or tried to talk they ended up fighting. Bruce seemed to always say the wrong thing every time they talked and it always led to fighting. Bruce didn't want to fight especially today. He wasn't up for it. He just hoped he could survive long enough in the room without saying the wrong thing or fighting.

They sat for a while in silence neither of them sure of what to say. "So-what's new?" Dick asked. "Not much." Bruce answered. Dick nodded. "I got a new utility belt with more pockets." "cool." "I needed it for the new toys I invented." "New toys?" Dick's eyes lit up. "Yah I wired the outfit so that I can send shocks from the suit but I needed to keep the wire attached to a charger which I keep in the belt." "That's awesome." Dick always loved hearing about Bruce's new toys. "You?" Bruce queried. "Not much" "I was working on this murder case but the guy's probably skipped town by now." "Nice." Bruce said. "Are you hungry?" "I'm kinda hungry." Bruce asked he couldn't believe how well this was going. "Yah actually I could go for something." "How about Chinese?" "That sounds great." Dick answered he couldn't believe how well this was going. "Why don't we order Chinese and sit and watch some tv?" "That sounds great." Dick answered cheerily.

So they ate Chinese food and watched TV and talked about everything and anything under the sun. When it got late and Dick was beginning to fall asleep Bruce ushered him off to bed and tucked him in and talked to him until he fell asleep. When Dick woke up in the morning Bruce was still there and had made Dick breakfast. They talked some more and when Bruce took his temperature he found that the fever had completely gone away. Bruce figured he was well enough to be left on his own so he left midway through the day and told Dick to call him if he needed anything and to please take it easy.

A few days later Bruce came over to check on Dick. He was doing much better and was up and around his apartment, although he hadn't felt well enough to go out on patrol yet. "How are you?" he asked "I'm great I am feeling so much better." "Thanks for the food." He said. Yah no problem you can thank Alfred for that. "cool." Dick answered. Bruce wanted to say how much he had enjoyed hanging out with him but wasn't sure of how to say it. "listen Bruce thank you so much for everything you did for me the other night." "I can't say how much I appreciate it." "No problem." Bruce answered. "It was the best sick day I've ever had." Dick chuckled. "It was fun for me too." Bruce finally managed to say. Dick smiled. That great great smile he had. "Would you want to hang out tonight?" Bruce was stunned, Was Dick actually asking to spend time with him? "I would love that Dick." "Ok cool" he said beaming that smile again. "Shall we do Chinese and TV again?" "That sounds great." Bruce answered. He couldn't believe how well this had turned out. Maybe he and Dick really had turned a corner maybe they were finally getting back to where they once were. He could only hope that tonight would cement those hopes even more.


End file.
